Till we Meet Again
by Mini Sweety
Summary: They were born to be treat like robots without feelings. When they were granted one wish, they wished to live as normal humans beings for 1 full year. It is during this year, they meet two young men, who taught them the meaning of love [full sum inside]
1. We are, Who We are

**Author's Note:** _The title of the story will make sense to you once you really the last chapter… Ne wayz, I hope you like it, I enjoyed writing it, that's all I can say… lol_

**_Summary: They were born to experiment, treated like robots, nothing but perfection… at EVERYTHING. They were to be better than 20 of the world most perfect people put together, in every, single way… then, they got their opportunity… to be have a chance to live the life of a human being, to enter school, to learn to love and to be feel hurt. There's a catch to that, however, they must defeat a girl who had trained just as hard as them, perhaps even more, and even if they do, their lives would not be peace, there are people who wants them… wants to kill…_**

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**Chapter** **One**

_We Are, Who We Are_

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"_Happy birthday to you… Happy birthday to you… Happy birthday to you… Happy birthday to you…_" Only the one who sang this familiar song heard the silent, yet beautiful melody. The girl thought about all that's happened so far throughout her life, as she sat back and sighed depressingly. Another year has passed… The thirteenth year of her life… Many would say that thirteen is a number of bad luck, yet, to her, there's never such thing as good luck… she had passed every year of her life with misery, not at all having a chance to express herself, to be what she wants to be, for she was born to be experimented by her mother, who lost her mind when her father died.

Her mother became a scientist then, she laughed with madness, she wanted what a human would never dare to even dream of… She wanted to create a girl, a girl of perfection… And who is that girl you ask? It was her own daughter, whom she had the day her husband had died of cancer, she did not care what the girl wanted, she did not care about the girl, all she cared about was what would become the girl… Her daughter was to learn everything there ever was to know at the age of 7, to master the art of disguise at the age of 9, to fight better than 20 black-belts put together at the age of 10, to train her every senses better than the whole world's population all put together at the age of 12, to have the strength to kill a man with one punch a few weeks before her thirteenth birthday.

And now, here she sat, on her bed, in her room. Her birthday, with no one to celebrate with, with no happiness, with no meaning, all it is, is a day, when another year was cut short from her life. Some may say this was her real side… not a girl with no emotions, but a girl full of it, full of life, capable of feeling what a human would feel… just never had a chance to reveal it… Then again, some could say, this was only a side she wanted to have, to be, yet never was able to… But the truth was, she never had a real side, she was always someone perfect for the scene around them… if they needed a cheerful girl, she will be one… if they need a punk angel, that's what she is… if they wanted gothic, there she stands. Perfect.

Staring straight ahead, she looked at her own reflection, painted clearly in the mirror sitting on the huge glass table before her; it reflected a girl with shiny, waist-length black hair, two emerald streaks on the both sides of her hair matching her beautiful emerald eyes. Her pale skin showed no signs of fatigue though she had not slept for 3 nights in a row. "Well, another 77 years of misery to go, before I can finally, move on." She made a wish, and blew the thirteen candles out.

At the main entrance to the large mansion, another young girl entered. She had the same lovely black hair, and had been treated the same as the birthday girl, the only difference between them, was that she had blue streaks on the side of her hair matching her sapphire like eyes. "It's her birthday today… isn't it?" She whispered to herself.

Though the two girls were at least 100 feet away from each other, though the two girls were only whispering to themselves, though it was right now midnight, they heard each other. "I'm in here." The door to her room immediately swung open, the girls looked at each other and gave a brief smile.

"Happy Birthday."

"Glad someone remembered."

"I always do."

"Let's just hope."

"Don't just hope, believe."

"Nothing to believe in."

"Find something to."

"Why don't you?"

"Never knew the meaning of 'believing'."

"Neither did I."

"Until I met you."

"Same goes here."

"I know."

"So did I."

"They lied to us."

"Who?"

"The bitches."

"Which ones?"

"Sonomi and Nadeshiko."

"Oh yes. What about?"

"We aren't like this."

"I know that."

"No, they lied. We weren't born with streaks in our hair, we weren't born heartless, we weren't born with black hair."

_**-Flash Back-**_

An innocent 2 years old little girl grabbed a strand of her strange coloured hair and looked up into the eyes of her mother, Nadeshiko. "Mommy? Why is my hair black and green? Most kids only have one hair colour, why do I have two?"

_The lady gave an irritated look. "Because you're special, you're born with it. Now get back to work, have you memorized the times table up to 50 yet?"_

"_No, mommy…" She replied sadly, looking back at her pile of work. "I'm sorry."_

"You bet you are girl, now get back to work before I am forced to inject more of the learning fluid into your brain."

"_Yes, mommy."_

_**-End Flash Back-**_

"Prove?"

The girl took out two pictures from her handbag and shoved it in the other girl's hand. "Take a look."

She looked at them. One was, her, the other was her best friend, no doubt… but… something was different, they looked around the age of… what? 6 months? But instead, one girl had bits of auburn coloured short hair, and the other had grayish raven tiny strands… Had they dyed their hair in this picture, or was it the REAL them? "Where'd you find these?"

"Inside the bitch's drawer…"

She nodded. "Maybe true… or maybe a trap to confuse us."

"We've been trained. We aren't stupid. No body is born with streaks, we were foolish enough to believe it before."

"We're special."

"So I've heard. But we're still only human."

"Not by the way they treat us."

"We still are, no matter what."

"The truth will be known soon enough, until then, patience."

"That's all I've ever had for my whole life… but it's now growing incredibly thin."

"We can't do anything."

"To them. But if we escape, we can."

"Their secret weapon."

"That's what I'm worried about."

"We'll figure something out."

"Better be soon."

"Patience."

"Not much left."

The two girls leaned against each other and stared at their reflection in the mirror… they looked so much alike, though they were not in anyway related. It's amazing how they had stopped themselves from committing suicide after the way they've been tortured… but then again, it's always Sonomi and Nadeshiko… them and their secret weapon.

What is it you ask? What's is the 'special weapon'? It's a special type of gun… so powerful, if you describe its limitless to humans on earth, their answer would all be the same, 'stop imagining.' But it truly exists, only in the unknown and hidden lab of Kinomoto and Daidouji where the most horrified creations were created… I must get back to topic… yes, the gun. Unlike other guns, it has no bullets, instead, a stream of blood-red light shoots out, if any part of it, brushes by a hair on a human's arm, every part of the person freezes. That includes the brain, the cells, the bacteria, the lungs, the vessels, the heart, everything, for ten, whole, hours. The person however, does not die, the best way to describe it is saying time freezes for that amount of time, throughout that time, the person will see what he or she fears most… frozen for ten hours is bad, but what the people would do to you is even worse. They would put illegal drug in your body, testing it, to see reaction… though you're all frozen, and you're seeing horrifying illusions, any pain in the real world is still felt, any affections is still known, but what does that matter? There's nothing you can do…

It is the only thing they're ever afraid, because anything else, one punch, it'll be down. But that gun, that wicked gun, that cursed gun, is the only thing they're afraid of, because no matter how fast they are, they cannot run faster than the speed of light, 300 thousand kilometers per second. It's just impossible… too impossible…

--

A young man with black hair and dark eyes looked at the unconscious girl. Another one of those two in the lab, layer of beautiful black hair, just that the streaks are blood red rather than blue or green, and same as the two girls, it matches her sparkling ruby coloured eyes.

He must warn the two girls, he has to… but he can't, if he was caught, there's no telling what bloody torture he will be put through by his own mother, and the one name Sonomi. Though he was not forced to train like his sister has to, he was just as bad, because he wasn't a girl, he was a boy, he wasn't special enough, he was forgotten, he was only known as one of the more trusted and important slaves of this lab.

He looked down at the girl, the one with red streak, the one with ruby eyes, the one whose name is Meiling, the one whose life is just as bad as the 'other two'. _They can beat her… I know they can… of course they can… they have to…_It still wasn't enough reassurance… if they beat her, they can have one wish… if they don't… it's for them to prepare for trouble… _I should trust them; I should put my trust in them… I shouldn't doubt them… after all, I have known them for such a long time… if I cannot trust them, then whom can I trust?_

If he had wanted them to win so badly, he could easily put some drug into the girl's veins right now and make her as hopeless as a dead bird, but she really isn't unconscious, she's hit down by that special gun too… she may seems dead, but she can still feel and think… and if he's caught and told on… it could be up to 6 months of pure torture…

See, that's the thing with Nadeshiko and Sonomi, they never kills anyone, they never let anyone go… they catch them, and use the worst torture ever thought of on their victim… so bad, that the victim would be begging on their knees to be killed… He has personally witnessed a torture… A young man who added an extra ingredient into a drug they were making, was sliced multiple times all over his body, the cuts weren't too deep, but deep enough for blood to drip, for the pain to spread… he was then pushed into a tiny room, the room was filled with flies, mosquitoes, worms and spider… all those insects have been starved for weeks, and at the site and smell of blood, they all came flying and fought over the blood from each of the man's cuts, unable them to heal, unable them to be cleaned, having them more and more infected… the man's cried rang through the entire lab for 2 whole month… until he no longer had strength to yell… 2 weeks later, he died… an extremely painful death.

This is only one fifth of what they can do… no one has seen the worst… only Nadeshiko and Sonomi has… no one else… all they're heard are cries of agony and death… no doubt it was painful…

_But would it be worth it to warn them? Would it? Should I risk my own torture-less days just to warn them? When they don't even know who I am?_ He was upset, he really is. His relationship with the girl with green streaks is special, yet, she never knew because Nadeshiko and Sonomi kept the secret away from her. They kept it hidden from him as well, but he found out. It's the one advantage special slaves have against normal slaves; they know the truth.

No, he will not warn them, because it's just a warning, no big deal, it's not as if this warning is going to make sure they're to win, it's not like without this warning they'll surely die… so what's the point of risking this? But shouldn't he at least tell the green streaked girl what their relationship is? Well, he doesn't have to, as long as she sees him clearly for a good 10 minutes, she should figure something out. Why do they look so damn much alike and so similar to that Nadeshiko? This is no coincidence. Why is it that when she looks at him it reminds her of looking into the mirror except at a boyish version of herself? Why is it that his handsomeness can match up to her beauty? Sooner or later, she'd figure it out… but sadly, the one rule Nadeshiko had told him not to disobey, is for that girl to never see him until she gives him permission to.

--

The two girls just sat in their room, starring at the mirror and at their miserable reflections for the next 5 hours. It's something they loved doing, to starred at the truth that lies before them, and to think… to think about anything…

_**Vision**_

_The green streaked girl took hold of the girl with blue streaks' hand, together, they ran across a green field, the sun was shining, the clouds were smiling, the sky was as blue as it can be. There were also trees around them, flowers in between grass; roses, tulips, daisies, dandelion, sunflowers, jasmines, pansies, violet, chrysanthemums, lilies, marigolds, and queens wreath vines. At the same time, cherry blossom pedals and plum blossom pedals were falling from the direction of the gentle breeze._

The two girls lay down on the grass and stared at the sky, enjoyed the lovely sensation. From nowhere, two boys a bit older than them suddenly ran out from behind one of the trees, they lay beside the girls and took hold of their hands and whispered, "I love you."

_The moment seemed perfect, as if nothing could ruin it, that is, until, rain started pouring, the guys had a fight with them._

"_I HATE YOU!"_

"_I HATE YOU TOO!"_

"_YOU'RE A BITCH!"_

"_YOU'RE A BASTARD!"_

"_I CAN'T BELIEVE I HAD FALLEN IN LOVE WITH YOU!"_

"_NEITHER CAN I!"_

_Then the boys vanished, the two girls were left alone and cried on each other's shoulder… soon, the storm was over, the boys came back, and they made up._

"_I'm sorry about what happened."_

"_I shouldn't have yelled at you."_

"_It was all my fault."_

"_Will you forgive me?"_

"_I love you."_

"_I love you too…"_

_**End of Vision**_

The vision ended right there, the two girls looked at each other and whispered one sentence at the exact same time. "If I had one wish, I would wish to experience things human does, happiness, pain, break-ups, make-ups, hatred and most of all, love."

None of them were surprised, it often happened like this, they had spent so much time together, they're practically the same person, they think the same, they say the same and they act the same… they even have the same visions.

At that precise moment, the door to their room swung open, and two gorgeous ladies walked in. One had the same mysterious colours as the green streaked girl, the other with matching ones as the girl with blue streaks. The two girls bow down. "Good evening, Nadeshiko, good evening, Sonomi."

"Good evening, daughter, and friend's daughter." The ladies replied.

"What brings you here today?"

"We are here to take you away."

"To where?"

"Somewhere not in this room."

"Elaborate."

"To make a long story short, you two will be competing with one other girl who has trained as much as you. Each of you will be an individual team, and will be tested both mentally and physically. Only two people will win, and the winners may have one wish granted. The wish can last for the most, one year."

"Shouldn't be too hard…"

"Don't be so sure. Too much confidence may not be good."

The girls looked at each other and raised an eyebrow at each other. One word was said without the sound coming out of their mouths. 'Bullshit'.

"When are we leaving?"

"Now." Nadeshiko and Sonomi turned around and left the room. Needless to say, that meant for the two girls to follow as well.

--

The four of them arrived in side a giant dome, well, that's what they see, but where they are standing, they seem to be in the 'change room' of the dome. "The other girl who's completing with you two is named Meiling, she is on the other side of the dome, once the horn is blown for three times, that means for you two to come out and introduce yourselves. The girl will introduce herself right after you two, and the competition of what you're suppose to do will be explained right after that." Sonomi then passed her two sets of outfit and handed them to Nadeshiko, Nadeshiko then gave them to the two girls. "These are the outfit you will be wearing for the competition, is this understood?"

"Yes."

"Good. There shouldn't be any confusion any ways. We'll see you soon." Sonomi and Nadeshiko left.

As soon as they left, the two girls change into their costumes.

"Are you nervous?" The blue streaked girl asked.

"No. Are you?"

"Why should I be?"

"Just a question."

"Let's promise each other one thing."

"What is it?"

"If we win, we win together, if we lose, we lose together. And if we're forced to fight each other, we'll both fall at the exactly same time so no winner will be announced. But no matter what, we will defeat Meiling."

"Agreed."

"She shouldn't be that hard to beat."

"No, she shouldn't."

"Either way, good luck."

"You too…"

Suddenly, a speaker boomed through by their ears, they looked around, but they couldn't see where the voice was coming from… "Are you two done talking yet?"

They blinked. "Yah… we are…"

The first sound of a loud horn was blown, the sound vibrated throughout the entire dome and into the girls' ears. The source was not to be found, but the noise was definitely there…

The second blast of the horn was heard… this note lasted longer than the first, and louder…

And suddenly, just as about the third note was to blown, a man with black hair suddenly jumped out from nowhere and hugged the two girls together.

The blue streaked hair girl was confused, but she didn't push him away for she had a feeling he was more of a friend than a foe, but as for the green streaked girl, she felt a wave of warmth she had never felt before, it was like a hug from someone who shared her bloodline.

The third blown of the horn rang throughout, it was longest and loudest of them all… "Good luck…" The man whispered. "And knock her dead…" He then gave them a gentle shove and disappeared into the darkness. All they were able to capture was a quick glimpse of his handsome features…

Theie arrival was late by a millisecond, which gave the red streaked girl the chance to speak first. All three of them were dressed in the exact same clothing except for the coloured parts… the coloured parts were each a different colour that represented them. But other than that, the whole costume was black, the first piece was a short tank top that ended about 2 inched below their breast, over it was a mini shirt that ended an inch beneath the tank top, it's quite short, so short that the shirt does not meet up in the front enough to have buttons, so instead, a string tied the fronts together, the string is coloured coded due to the streaks in the people's hair streak colour.

The bottom was a pair of extremely tight shorts that's practically like an underwear but a bit longer, it was stuck to the skin. And over it, was a mini skirt 2 inches longer than the shorts inside, two slits up both sides, so high that it's barely connected; a coloured line traced along the bottom of the skirt. Their shoes are of high platform boots, tied crisscross on the 'out' side all the way to the top, which is a little above the knee, and the rest of the coloured string fell all the way to the ground.

The girl with crimson red eyes and red streaks took a step up, she glared at the two girls and cleared her throat. "My representing colour; red, my special stone; ruby, and my name; Li Meiling."

The two girls stared._ That's our special way of introducing ourselves! How'd she know it? _They didn't get a chance to wonder, for it's now their turn to talk. The girl with blue streaks stepped up first.

"My representing colour; blue, my special stone; sapphire, and my name; Daidouji Tomoyo."

The girl with green streaks stepped up next. "My representing colour; green, my special stone; emerald, and my name; Kinomoto Sakura."

--

**If you want me to email you for the next update, LEAVE YOUR EMAIL in your review!**

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**Author's Note: **_Um guys… please dun kill me… ; I know I haven't updated any of my other stories for like… forever… so I have no right to write another one… but I've been sort of a mess (in the mind) lately… I'm not even sure why so when I write I Dare You it comes out REALLY random and crappy… I've done half of the chapter but I think I'll rewrite it…_

_I just posted this one because… well… somehow I've been working on this one lately… I've got like 2-3 chapter done already… this story was started about 2-3 years ago, but I've edited it around once every 6 months so I think it should still be pretty good… :P_


	2. We Became, who we Became

**Author's Note:** _This is the second chapter… I know the last chapter was a bit confusing… but ya… :P btw if anyone is INTERESTED in what the costumes actually LOOK LIKE, I've done at pic of it, which you can find at:_

_http: (slash)(slash) www (dot) deviantart (dot) com (slash) view/33733915/_

_erase all the weird stuff of course. XD it's a half body, and it's Sakura… so yeah… :P_

)**nadeshiko blossom**( - she WAS very kind in the anime… but well, I like to twist character personalities... xD

)**MizEvilBlossoms**( - thx so much:) well, obviously I can't let Meiling win, ne? I can't kick the main characters out of the story before the story even begins! xD

)**AngeL**( - xD LMFAO! Evil Nadeshiko and Sonomi and lab coats and sparkly-evil eriol-like glasses? LMAO! I can just envision dat! LOL!

)**Mewy**( - hey um sorry but I don't see your email address there… :sweatdrop:

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**Chapter Two**

_We Became, who We Became_

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The girls looked at each other. Sakura and Tomoyo shared a look of confidence and a secret look. They're going to work together to beat this girl down; they will, even if they do not plan to, they've been together for so long; it's impossible not to—it has already became a habit.

They stood side-by-side and shot a similar stare at the girl with the fiery look in her determined eyes.

"Begin."

The tests began with knowledge, then with experiments, memories, and missions that requires the brain. It was always a three-way tie. There was no winner, and none was panting, nor feeling the slightest uneasy. This was a breeze for all three of them; this competition would take forever at this rate.

Luckily, Nadeshiko, Sonomi and the mysterious black-haired woman wanted the girls to show off each of their true abilities.

First, there was a race. Sakura and Tomoyo had a tie… in second place. Meiling's speed was amazing. They had no clue how it was even possible for her to run so bloody fast. The two girl panted slightly, while Meiling just smiled at them with her black and red hair soaked in sweat – the smile was of more of a proud taunt than that of a friendly gesture.

Next, there were three masters of defence, same skill, same age, same everything. They were robots, cloned, human shaped and soft skin. They won't attack, but their defence is amazing, the girl who can beat it to a bloody pulp and put it out of business first will be the winner.

Sakura won. Her attacking skills are undeniable.

And last, it was completely opposite. The humans – robots – humanlike robots attacks, with great skill and accuracy, the first to get hit even once, will be out. The last one standing will be the winner.

Tomoyo won. Queen of defence.

The last will be the toughest test of all, to show who is really the best at fighting. Whether it's speed, technique or defence.

They are to fight each other.

They stood in roughly a triangle. Meiling set her eyes on Tomoyo. The girl looks calmer – she's an easy target.

* * *

Tomoyo smiled. She's the target, she knows it, and yet, she smiled without worry. Why shouldn't she? Not even Sakura can beat her down. Though she could not hurt Sakura, Sakura cannot land a punch on her because of her superior defence skills. She held up her arms in a defensive position. Her eyes flashed. Show me what you've got, honey dolly. 

Meiling launched into the air and Tomoyo estimated the time the kick will hit.

Yet she was off. Way off. Meiling swung her foot towards Tomoyo's face and Tomoyo was barely able to block it.

She took a step back and gasped. She's amazing! At the race this girl was only showing a quarter of her agility, her real ability is unimaginable! How is that possible?

Tomoyo blocked off a couple more attacks – barely.

Meiling fired forth another punch, Tomoyo caught her hand but took a step backwards, almost immediate, a foot came beneath her, and this time, she was way too slow, she tripped and fell onto her back. Immediately, Meiling stepped on her arms to keep her down and landed a hard punch on her face.

Tomoyo was now under a major advantage, but she managed to bring her legs up a few times to block a couple of the attacks. Her face was beginning to become swollen.

Meiling let go of her, only to slip her foot under Tomoyo and jabbed into her spine.

"Ah!" Helplessly, Tomoyo let out a cry of pain. Who the hell is this person? She can't possibly be this fast, it's just not possible!

Next a heel struck her temple and Tomoyo felt herself passing out.

* * *

Sakura watched with amazement. Tomoyo – a girl whose defence is so miraculous even she, Sakura, the queen of fighting could not touch a hair on her – was going down. All because of a seemingly ordinary girl. 

When Tomoyo yelped in pain, Sakura almost cried out for her friend, for as long as they've known each other, Tomoyo had never uttered a screech from discomfort.

A foot struck her friend's temple and she couldn't take it anymore. She jumped forward.

As fast as Meiling was, Sakura's fighting skills were much better. Though she was hit a few times, she managed to slip in a leg and kneed Meiling in the spine as the girl fell to the ground.

* * *

Meiling could not believe this. It's not suppose to be happening! She was the strongest! Didn't she prove so by beating the Tomoyo girl whose now lying half conscious on the ground? 

She quickly got back on her feet and threw a punch. Sakura absorbed the punch. It hurts. Like hell. But she could take it, because she knew she could punch twice as hard as that. Sakura grabbed onto that arm, so hard that Meiling was unable to pull it free. In frustration, Meiling drew back her other hand and punched forward, yet all of a sudden, Sakura twisted her other hand, slowing the stunned girl down, as Sakura caught both Meiling's hands in a tight grip.

For the first time, Meiling felt fear, and she was right to feel this.

Sakura let a smirk on her face, though she was bleeding slightly from Meiling's first few well started off punches.

Sakura bent Meiling's fists in a strange angle, kicked her knee, then using Meiling's hand, she pushed herself upwards, flipped and did a double kick under Meiling's chin, almost throwing her head off.

* * *

Tomoyo laid there weakly, she turned her head slightly to watch the scene before her, and a pattern filled her mind. Sakura could defeat Meiling but not Tomoyo. Tomoyo could defeat Sakura but not Meiling. Meiling could defeat Tomoyo but not Sakura. The three of them needs each other. They're like a triangle, one line gone, and it's no longer considered that shape. 

Meiling made a last attempt; she swung her leg, yet Sakura grabbed it. That girl – she never defends, she'll turn your attack against you. Meiling was knocked on her back and Sakura made her kick herself with her own leg, knocking her completely unconscious. Tomoyo had to give her credit for not even crying out once during the whole torture.

Sakura smiled, a malicious smile when she was up for revenge. She curled her hand in a position, as if trying to point all her nail on Meiling's chest. And that's exactly what she is doing. She is going to kill the girl.

Sakura's hand shot forward.

With her last strength, Tomoyo got up and jumped for, barely managing to brush Sakura's hand aside. Another one of Tomoyo's special defense ability. Instead of absorbing the attack with her body, she has an ability to be like the wind, and swiftly guide the attack towards the wrong direction.

Sakura looked at her. "Why?"

"Because." Tomoyo fell down beside Meiling, and she realized how similar the three of them really are, to one and another. "We're the same. I am you, I am her, you are her, she is you. We're all the same…" Tomoyo hugged Meiling gently, and before she could get up again, she lost conscious.

"Tomoyo…" Sakura frowned deeply. Her friend had never given her a hug before. At least not one with so much feeling like this one.

"Congratulations, Kinomoto Sakura, and Daidouji Tomoyo. Meiling was the first to fall, which makes the two of you winners." Nadeshiko spoke as if nothing had happened, as if Tomoyo was not lying half dead on the ground right now, as if Sakura was not filled the hot turmoil burning inside her. "There will be a prize. You pick."

Sakura looked at Tomoyo and Meiling, then remembered how human her words sounded. She was speaking from the depth of her heart, something humans often do. "I want to live." She said.

"You are alive."

Sakura looked at her mother in the eyes, only to feel as if she were staring into the eyes of a stranger. She did not know this cold-blooded… creature in front of her. "I'm dead." She replied. "I am not human, I have no heart, and without a heart, you're dead. I'm dead." She repeated. "And I want to live."

Her mother stared at her back. "I repeat. You are alive. If you do not consider the way you're living right now, alive, then perhaps I have not taught you enough."

It was a subtle threat. Sakura caught it, and she sighed. "Rephrasing – I would like to live the normal, low density life the people on the 'outside' are living. I would like to experience it."

"Why?"

"There is no way. I am who I am, my dreams are what I wish and you can't change them."

"Are you so sure Tomoyo would like your decision?"

Sakura looked down at Tomoyo and the events of the hug replayed again in her mind. "Yes, she would be more sure than I am."

"Very well."

Sonomi and the mother of Meiling came. They spoke and came upon a decision. Nadeshiko delivered the news to her daughter. "You will have exactly one year. You will enroll in a school in Tomoeda 3 weeks and 5 days from now. It will be the beginning of a new school year. You will be grade 8s, since your age is 13. At the exact end of that year, the second the bell rings, we will fetch you.

"Now, we do not wish for you to be like this while you are interacting with… them. I would like you pick a hair colour, a personality and a few sets of clothing. You will be like that for the whole year. Two conditions. One, do not go near water. Your hair dye will not wash off and will be stained to the roots of your hair, but when water touches it, it will immediately wash away the dye. And two, at all times, I expect you to be wearing your 'uniforms' underneath all the extra clothing."

"Agreed." Sakura then continued without pausing. "I would like to have auburn hair, same coloured eyes, a personality of a generous girl who is outgoing, and has a bright view of life. Her flaw is that she is never punctual, and times when she does not feel like it, she will not pay attention to what others are saying."

Nadeshiko was amused. "Complete opposites of you now. What made you decide to go with auburn hair and green eyes?"

_To know what I would've looked like if I was alive._ She thought to herself. "Just choices. Random."

Her mother stared at her long and hard. "I'm sure they are. You are to finish the preparation by tonight. Meet in my room tonight. Inform Tomoyo to be at Sonomi's room."

"Yes, mother."

* * *

At exactly 8:00pm that night, Sakura walked into her mother's room. "Good Evening, Mother." 

"Good evening, Sakura."

"What is your request?"

"I have confirmed with Tomoyo, and it is true, she wishes the same as you do. She has also picked out her looks, and personality, which you will find out soon. The house you will be staying at has already been purchased, and inside is everything you'll ever need—from money, to cloth, to cooking utensils, to weapons and guns, to school stuff." Nadeshiko walked up to her as she pulled a bottle of liquid out of her pocket and poured it over Sakura's hair.

Immediately, as if it were magic, Sakura's hair changed. The rich auburn poured through each strand of hair and she looked as if she were like that for her whole life. "Wow…" she muttered.

"Yes, science—especially ours—is an amazing thing."

What she did not know was that Sakura was not awed by the solution, she was, in fact, awed at what she would've, could've, should've looked like had she been born normal. But she did not voice her opinion.

"Remember, do _not_ go near water. Period. Believe me, not only do you wish to protect your hair, you wouldn't want to get any water on your cloth either. Trust me."

Sakura trusted her. It was unwise not to. "How do I stay clean?"

"That you needn't worry about. The house has been penetrated and filtered with a special kind of air. It will scrub you from head to toe the moment you enter. Which is why I will now tell you, that it's unwise to bring guests to your house."

"Understood."

"Also, an advice: don't get attached to anyone."

"Yes, ma'am."

"You may leave now. There is a car outside waiting." Nadeshiko glanced outside. "Tomoyo is waiting."

She needn't tell Sakura that, of course, because Sakura already heard Tomoyo stepping into the car. Nadeshiko turned around and began to walk away. "Wait!"

"Yes?"

"What… happened to Meiling…?" As much as she disliked the girl, it was impossible not to wander. After all, she doubted they'd persecute such a precious figure. As much as Sakura hated to admit it, Meiling _was_ definitely something very special and rare. As rare as her and Tomoyo, even.

Nadeshiko turned around, and there was a bemused, and slightly cruel smile on her lips. "I suggest you not worry about that…"

Sakura frowned slightly. That's not a good sign. "Is she… dead?"

The smile grew. "Do you wish for her to be dead?"

"I…" Sakura looked away. "I don't care."

"Exactly." And Nadeshiko was gone.

Sakura felt a chill. She hoped nothing would happen to Meiling. After all… it had been _slightly_ unfair she lost the fight… since it _had_ been two on one…

* * *

Sakura's bed was next to Tomoyo's. Dawn was approaching, and they had never felt this way before. The bed was so… simple… and the outside world… it was… so beautiful… the red hue outside their window shined on their faces as they breathed the air in. "I can't believe it… we made it out…" There were tears in Tomoyo's eyes. 

"Yes… we're now free…"

"Only for a year, though…"

"Better than most people in the lab."

"Like Meiling…"

Sakura stared at her best friend, who now had long, grayish locks, but same coloured eyes. "I'm sure she's okay…"

"You're sure?"

"…I asked Nadeshiko."

"What did she say?"

"She… asked me if I wished Meiling dead…"

Tomoyo frowned. "And you said…?"

"I told her I didn't care either way."

Tomoyo sighed. There was so much heaviness in her heart. Sakura doubted she could let go of it all within this short year. The burden would take an eternity to be scrubbed free. "I do… I care for her, and I wish she could've came with us…"

Sakura looked away. "If she did, we would be in her position…"

"And what _is _her currently position, exactly?"

Sakura sighed, as she went under the covers. The air in this house burned and pricked. No doubt if she brought any low-density humans over they'd probably suffocate to death. "Get some sleep. We have a long day."

"Was just practicing my personality."

"You don't need to, Tomoyo… it'll come to you naturally."

* * *

Sakura and Tomoyo walked into a classroom with unfamiliar faces. In fact, they were still in shock from seeing so many kids their own age. They stared around like innocent children as they marveled at their colourful surroundings, and how each individual was made from different shapes and colours. Everyone was unique, not like people at the lab, who always looked exactly alike. 

"Hey, I haven't seen you guys around before! Are you new?"

Tomoyo spun around slowly and shyly, her eyes peering up while her face kept down.

Sakura took a deep breath.

She spun around cheerful, and let a huge grin fill her face as she widened her sparkling eyes. "Yeah, we're new!" She stuck out her hand almost immediately. The smile on her face was irresistible. "I'm Kinomoto Sakura! Call me Sakura!"

The girl giggled. "You certainly are hyper." She said, taking Sakura's hand. "I'm Yanagisawa Naoko. And those are my friends Mihara Chiharu and Sasaki Rika." She said, pointing at a girl flirting with a guy, and another girl who was speaking with the teacher, Mr. Terada. "Is she a friend of yours?" She asked looking at Tomoyo.

Tomoyo smiled politely and nodded. Her voice came out sweet and angel-like. "Yes, we've know each other a long time now… since we're little, actually."

Naoko smiled. "I can tell… you two seems very close."

"We are!" Sakura chirped. "Why is your friend talking to the teacher anyways? She can't be having problems on the first day of school!"

Naoko laughed. "Oh, she doesn't. But that's just Rika, she's got a _huge_ crush on the teacher."

"Oh my God, on Mr. Terada? No way! He's like… 20 years older than her!"

"Well, she's just got a thing for older guys I guess."

Sakura laughed. Her eyes scanned around the room. "Hey! Look at that guy over there talking to your other friend! Tomoyo, he's got almost the same hair colour as you, you two'd make quite a couple!"

Tomoyo blushed slightly. "Not a chance… besides, if I'm not wrong, I believe he's more interested in the girl in front of him."

"Quiet observant." Naoko replied. "The two _loves_ each other. I mean it. They've been going through this blushing-flirting routine for almost six years. But neither cares to make a move. It sickens me sometimes." Naoko shook her head.

"Aww…" Sakura pouted. "There's no cute and fun guys left then…" She scanned the room one more time.

"Agreed…" Tomoyo replied. "There's no mature guys left besides Mr. Terada, either."

Naoko's glasses flashed. "Well… one of you is looking for fun, the other for maturity… I think I know the two guys whom you two might like…"

Sakura laughed. "In this bundle? No way!"

Tomoyo shook her head slightly watching two boys pouring ketchup on each other. "No one seems to be able to grow up in this classroom… though with the teacher so busy checking out our Sasaki dear, it's no wonder…"

Naoko sweat dropped. "Well in this classroom, no one will match you two… but tenth grade…. At the high school across from here…" Naoko's glasses flashed again. "There just may be two guys…"

"WHAT! The high school across the street only has two guys!" Sakura exclaimed.

Tomoyo giggled. "No, Sakura, she meant two guys suitable for us!"

"Oh… Phew… otherwise I'd question what kind of a town I've moved to!"

"Ah don't worry, this is a pretty normal place. Nothing strange ever happens…" She sighed sadly. "As I was saying… there are two guys you two might like… then again, all the female population in this _town_ loves them. So…" She turned their back towards them and began walking away. "Aim a little lower. You are after all, newbies here."

"Heeeeey!" Sakura cried chasing after Naoko. "What's that suppose to mean?"

"Don't you know? They only date the popular girls, girls they've know almost forever, girls who are special, girl's who are unique and has the male population's eyes on them. You gotta stand out somehow to grab their attention. They don't go for peasants, you know."

Tomoyo cocked her head to one side. "I think I can get their attention…" she said.

Naoko was curious. "What do you mean…?"

"Well… there just might be a couple of things I'm good at…"

Naoko shook her head. "Don't mean to shoot you down but that might not do you any good at all… give up while you're still ahead. Just gaze at them, and daydream. Dream and Reality are separate worlds. Being able to kiss one of those guys in one world is enough for me…"

"Same, but I'd prefer Reality over the Dream world…"

Naoko snapped out of her dreamy trance. "Ah, it's all right, Tomoyo, just forget what I said… you haven't even met them anyways… you seem to have high standards, and a crave for maturity. Maybe you should try someone in college… two years older might not be enough for you…"

"I'd like to meet them then…" Tomoyo said thoughtfully.

"So would I!" Sakura chirped. "I can at least befriend them!"

Naoko nearly chocked. "I don't think the word 'friend' is even in their vocabulary… they're rather close with each other, but as far as I'm concerned, no other close buddies, especially not a friend who's a _girl_." She stretched. "Well, I'm still saying you shouldn't meet them, just in case you get romanticized by their charm—after all, tryin' to saying as many victims as I can here—but if you really, really REALLY want to, across the street, today, right after our class ends at noon, so does theirs… and you might be greeted with a surprise… and find out quite a bit of things about them… you might not have wanted to know…" she winked.

"Are you trying to give us a bad impression of them?" Tomoyo questioned with a small frown.

"Now, now, don't get me wrong! But liking them is a sin, and it's bad for the health."

"But you like them…"

Naoko laughed. "Exactly." And she bounced away to Chiharu.

* * *

Tomoyo and Sakura stood by the gates of Seijou High School. "Wonder what they're like…" Tomoyo wandered. 

"Don't know." Sakura replied. "How can males possibly appear attractive to females?"

Tomoyo glanced at her. "You should talk. You've never been around a male besides that strange guy we met before our fight with Meiling." A look of pain crossed her face.

Sakura ignored it. "Likewise. You haven't neither."

Tomoyo nodded. "So I haven't. We'll experience this for the first time, together, then." And she grasped Sakura's hand, and they waited.

A few minutes passed, before a circle of girls rushed out. Clearly they were surrounding some_one_.

"So, where are we going today?" One girl asked flirtatiously, while trying to pull up her school uniform skirt so that it'd appear as short as possible.

Somewhere within the crowd, a much deeper voice than that Tomoyo and Sakura are used to replied, "Nowhere, hon. It's a new school year."

"B-But…"

"Sssh." The figure put a finger over his lips. "We had a deal. Beginning of school, to the next year. It's time you and I moved on."

"Do _I_ have a chance of staying with you longer, then?" Another girl asked.

The male shook his head sadly. "Sorry sweet cheeks, but I must say goodbye to all ten of you. It's been a fun year, but it's over now."

There seemed to be another male with dark blue hair next to the talking one. He pushed up his glasses slightly, as he gave the ladies an apologetic look. "Sorry." It was all he said, as he walked away.

The speaker—who seems to have had brown-ish hair—finally managed to get rid of the ring of girls after much trouble.

At last, the view was clear.

"Wow…" Sakura muttered. "Never seen any specimens like such back in the lab…"

Tomoyo nudged her.

"I mean… never seen any… humans… like this back in… our old town…"

"Let's go talk to them." Tomoyo said, already making her way towards them.

When they were close enough, Sakura called out, "Um… Excuse me…"

The two boys glanced their way. The brown-haired one smiled a charming smile. "Are you two next in line?"

Sakura cocked her head to one side and blinked her bright green eyes innocently. "Hmm? What line?"

The one with the glasses smirked slightly. "New here, huh." He said under his breath.

Of course, Sakura heard perfectly fine, though she pretended not to. "What? Did you say something?" She questioned loudly.

"Look here," The brown-haired one began to explain. "I know you two probably like us, but because you're new, you probably don't know the rules. At the beginning of the year we pick twenty girls to go out with," he said a matter-of-factly. "And only the ones we think are half decent can even get in line. You got to get us to notice you first, then you can line up, and maybe next, or next next, or even next next next year you can go out with us."

"What was with the girls you shooed away just minutes before, then?" Tomoyo asked softly.

His smile grew. "Sharp. Well, see, to make it fair for everyone, it's agreed that we only go out with the girls from the beginning of the year, to the beginning of the next year, and that's when we'll change."

Sakura didn't need to glance at Tomoyo. They could practically sense each other's thoughts.

No strings attached.

Exactly one year, huh.

_This is perfect._

_Indeed. More perfect than planned._

_They want us for a year, we can only stay a year._

_But they do not love us._

_But we love them._

_Do we? We do not know love._

_I've certainly never felt this way before._

_Perhaps this is how you feel about every male._

_But they do look very… how to describe…_

_Hot?_

_Yeah, that' s the word people here use._

_We came here to learn about love, and live._

_So we did. And we will live._

_What about love?_

_It's difficult to achieve._

_So we give up?_

_I'm simply saying it's better to have achieved one than none._

_We'll live with them?_

_I believe so. They are lively. They'll be fun. They'll be enjoyable._

_Fun that comes as easily as it goes._

_It does not matter. We've never had fun before. I want to be human._

_I want be loved._

_Give this a try. Have fun. Relax. Maybe love isn't so wonderful. Nadeshiko and Sonomi has warned us again it, after all._

A soft sigh._ They warn us against everything._

"We can't wait that long. We want to go out with you guys at the beginning of this year." Tomoyo stated.

"Ooo, feisty. Sorry babes, but not a chance."

Sakura couldn't noticed how the glasses one kept starring at Tomoyo.

He's starring at you.

_The brunette!_

_No, the other one._

_Oh, well._

_He might like you._

_Right._

_You are very beautiful._

_So are you._

_But I'm not you._

Tomoyo looked at Sakura. _What are you saying?_

_You're the charmer. You talk us out of this one._

_You can too, if you so desire._

_But the personality I chose does not allow me that luxury._

"What must we do to get your attention?"

"So desperate?"

"No, simply impatient, and demanding." Tomoyo smiled lightly.

The brown-head looked thoughtful. "Well you've certainly got my attention as of so far, but I see nothing special about you. Propose to me."

"Will you go out with us if I get on _your_ school's cheerleading team by tomorrow?" Sakura proposed with a grin.

The brown-head was thoughtful, and seemed impressed. "If you can, then I'll allow _you_ to go out with us. She still have to prove herself though." He glanced at Tomoyo, hoping for some unique proposal from her as well.

Tomoyo did not hesitate. "I will paint you a painting so beautiful, so realistic, you'll believe it was the real thing."

He smiled. "No…"

"Yes…"

"That will be difficult."

"I love a good challenge." She her smile broadened. "Do not underestimate us. And do not break a promise."

"I won't, if you two really are as good as you say you are."

"Oh, we are something specially, all right. Now, if you'll excuse us, we have work to do. Shall we meet back here tomorrow?"

"At lunch?"

"That's the most desirable hour for us."

"At lunch it is."

The turned around, gave a wave and a smile that had a hidden meaning, and made their way to their newest mission, which in their mind, has already been accomplished—after all, everything they've ever wanted, they always got.

* * *

"There's no way." 

Syaoran glanced over at his friend who pushed his glasses up with a slight frown. "No way? You think?"

Eriol stared at him. "What kind of a dumbass question was that? Of course they can't. Use your brain and think about it. Seijuu High _hates_ all middle-schoolers and has no respect for them. The cheerleading team is the best team in the school; there's no way you _hell_ they're gonna let that girl in. As for the other one…" The light reflected off his glasses so that Syaoran was momentarily unable to read his expression. "No, bloody, way. Maybe Da Vinci could do it, when he's lucky. But a girl at her age? No, bloody, way."

Syaoran shrugged. "If she can't, then she shouldn't have made such a promise."

"Well… I kinda did wanna get to know her…"

Syaoran stared at him. "Pardon?"

"Well, I don't know… somehow… the way she speaks… she sound so… intelligent. So unlike any of the other girls I've ever had throwing at me."

"You got a point… The way she spoke… she seems… so mature…"

"Make a deal with you."

"What?"

"If you see a painting tomorrow, pretend you don't. Pretend you thought it was the real thing."

Syaoran raised an eyebrow. "And what do I get in return?"

Eriol smirked. "A date with me, hon."

Syaoran rolled his eyes. "Get outta here. That line may work on everyone else in the school, but no way in hell that works with me. I'll do it for you, as a _favour_, as long as you cut this lame-ass talk out."

Eriol laughed. "Deal."

Next day…

"PLEASE PLEASE _PLEASE!_! YOU HAVE TO! YOU JUST GOTTA!"

"Oh, I don't know… I mean what I did back there… it was just for fun you know… Nothing serious…"

"Nothing serious! With skills like that we'll for sure win the finals!"

"Naww, I'm not that good…"

"STOP BEING SO MODEST! JUST JOIN US!"

"But… I don't even go to the same school…"

"WHO CARES?"

"Well…"

"PLEASE! BE THE CAPTAIN OF OUR CHEERLEADING TEAM, SAKURA-CHAN, PLEASE!"

Syaoran and Eriol stared at each other when they heard that line as they stepped outside of the building at lunchtime. There was a huge crowd gathering in the middle of the field, consisting of most tall, skinny, perfect skin and hair girls surrounding a slightly shorter one. "No, bloody, _way_."

They rushed over as they moved through the crowd. "Oh my God… Are you JOKING me!"

"No, we're not. We're asking them to be captain of our team!"

"What happened to Ashley?"

"Puh-lease, she's nothing compared to Sakura!"

Syaoran's eyes grew. "SHE'S A MIDDLE-SCHOOLER!"

"SO WHAT! HER TALENT MAKES UP!"

"Oh my God…" He stared at her.

She just stared back at him with a blank stared while smiling a broad smile at him as if she wasn't sure what was going on. But he knew there was more to her than that shallow smile on her pretty face. He sighed. "You win."

Her smile grew. "All right, ladies, I'll join your team."

"YAY!"

"THANK YOU SO MUCH!"

"OH, WE'RE GONNA TAKE THE LEAD THIS YEAR!"

"YOU'RE SO TALENTED! AND TOTALLY KAWAII!"

The girls each petted Sakura or pinched her cheek as the crowd finally thinned as they went to grab their lunches.

"Where's Tomoyo?" Eriol asked.

"Oh, over there, wait for you guys." She replied pointing at a silent figure standing in the shade of a giant tree.

Eriol and Syaoran stared at each other as they walked towards her. Sakura stayed back, watching their retreating figures. A sly, mysterious and knowing smile flashed on her lips. _Oh, they're about to get the surprise of their life… oh are they ever…_

"What do we say?" Syaoran muttered. "We saw no paintings today…"

"Uh… just say you saw some painting and at first you thought it was real and it was really nice…"

He raised an eyebrow. "Are you _that_ obsessed with her?"

"Shut up. Just do as I say."

"What if she never painted anything in the first place?"

"Then she'll be praying we _would_ say this. Because then her plan would go perfectly."

"Well…"

They stopped in front of her.

"Hey."

She said nothing. Her eyes still starring off into the distance.

"Um, really great painting of that… um window today… when I first saw it, I totally thought it was real, but then when I took a step closer, it was like fake… so yeah… totally amazing…"

She continued to stare off. Her eyes spacey.

"Um… hello?"

Syaoran bent down to wave a hand in front of her face and he froze. "No, friggin', WAY." He straightened, and took a step to the right, and stared back at her. The bark of the tree didn't match. "Oh my God…" He turned to look at Eriol who was already frozen.

Slowly and delicately, he reached forward and touched the collar of her dress.

Holy. SHIT.

She _is_ the painting.

"How'd you like the painting, boys?" Their heads snapped up as they saw her coming out from behind the tree, a painting plate in her hands.

"Did you just paint this now!"

"Well, if it dried some unexpected things could happen that would give it away. So I couldn't risk it."

"How did you know when we were coming?

"Just… a hunch."

"And how did you know we were going to come from that direction? Had we come from anywhere differently the background wouldn't've matched and your plan would've been foiled.

"Well, you'd for sure notice Sakura first, and I told her to tell you guys to come this way, so you have to have came from that specific direction."

Eriol shook his head. "It's not just that… the exact measurements and lines… but… how… how did you manage to bring out the texture…?" He reached forward with a slightly shaking hand, as he touched the painted girl's cheek.

Tomoyo tilted her head slightly. "I've been painting before I could walk, you could almost say."

"Had you started painting since you were in your mother womb you still would not have reached this level of mastery…"

Tomoyo smiled innocently. "Then, it's magic."

At that moment Sakura made her way to them. "Know what I go through everyday now? I live her. Imagine the confusion I go through when I tick her off. She's a vengeful little one." Sakura giggled.

Tomoyo smiled, but said nothing. Instead, she turned to the boys, smiling calmly, not at all intimidated by Eriol's intent stare on her. "So, we have a deal?"

Syaoran held out his hand. "One year."

Sakura grasped his hand as she caught his eyes. "One year."

Tomoyo and Eriol stared at each other, before nodding. "Yeah. No more."

"And no less."

**

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**If you want me to email you for the next update, LEAVE YOUR EMAIL in your review!**

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**Author's Note: **_Jeez… sounding a bit typical… maybe I'm still a romantic at heart… LOL I could be cruel but somehow… aah… couples I'm used to writing… so difficult to break them up or be cruel to them… xD_

_6152 words. Not bad._


	3. Simple, Harmless Fun

**Author's Note:** _This story could be a little extreme… because it's so happy one moment and very soon it could turn dark… after all, the two girls do lead two VERY different lives… And just reread over chapter 1 and 2… and holy SHYT… I really need to rewrite it… especially chapter 1… it's such utter crap… O.o_

)**AnimeObsessionFantasy**( - Lol yup, 2 out of a wide selection of 20 girls… :sweatdrop:

)**Shiroi Usagi**( - Ah, Meiling's not completely gone from the plot yet… she will be back… eventually… :P

)**Pinku Sakura**( - Oh, yes, I-Robot/Chobits, yes, I suppose it was slightly influenced from those… having seen both… :) admittedly I suppose I do have a slight obsession with artificial beauty… :P

)**HeartFout**( - Heh, heh, heh… whoops… sorry for this really late update…

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**Chapter Three**

_Simple, Harmless Fun_

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"NO, FRIGGIN' WAY!! LUCKY BASTARDS!" Naoko exclaimed, her eyes giant.

Tomoyo smiled, but didn't say anything.

"What do you mean? It wasn't as hard as you said it'd be! They weren't difficult to approach at all!" Sakura chirped innocently.

"Approach, no, but to DATE?! HELL YA! WHAT DID YOU DO TO THEM?!??!"

"Something special…" Sakura batted her lashes. "VERY special…"

"I'll bet on it!" Naoko turned around. "CHIHARU! RIKA! GET OVER HERE!"

The two girls came by. They were introduced to Sakura and Tomoyo yesterday, and the girls found the other two quite likeable enough. "What's up Nao?"

"You're NOT gonna believe this, Sakura and Tomoyo, are going on a date with THE Li-sama and THE Hiiragizawa-sama for a WHOLE year starting TOMORROW!"

"OH MY GOD! LUCKY BUMS! WHAT THE HELL DID YOU GUYS DO?!?! TEACH ME! TEACH ME!"

Sakura giggled. "Not much, I just became Seijuu High's Cheerleading team captain, is all."

"IS ALL?!?!" Rika gasped. "THAT'S ALL I EVER WANTED TO BE! How did you manage to get on the team so quickly?! AND A CAPTAIN NO LESS!"

"Well, they sort of begged me…"

"BEGGED YOU?!?!"

"Well, yeah…"

"How good, ARE YOU?!?!"

"Oh, just average."

"Yeah, RIGHT! Wow, it must be so much fun!!"

Sakura was thoughtful. "Well, I guess, but it's a lot of responsibility… I have practice almost every day after school…"

"Oh, can I come? PLEASE?"

"Oh, sure, I have practice today after school at 4:00pm, because Seijuu students gets dismissed half an hour later than us. If you guys want you can sit on the bleachers and watch us… but if you don't—"

"WE'LL BE THERE AT 3:00!"

After school…

Stretching, Syaoran yawned as he slung his beige bag over his shoulders. "Goodbye peaceful life, hello, hell…" he muttered.

Eriol glanced at him as he slammed his locker shut. "What's up, man?"

"Dude, are you aware what starts tomorrow?"

"You mean with the girls and all?"

"Yeah… I'm getting almost kinda tired of this… it's so exhausting… I feel like canceling this whole ordeal next year, don't you?"

Eriol stared at him. "Are you thinking of settling down?!"

"No, but doesn't it tire you a bit? Every year, 20 different girls we barely know, and still barely know by the end of the year. I mean sure, it sounds all great and all, exciting, blah blah, but, it's sort of gotten to the point where… don't you actually wanna get to _know_ a girl?"

"Well…" Eriol pondered thoughtfully as they walked out the front door of the school. "Maybe… but either way, you know we have to finish with this year first… and you know if we cancel this whole thing… all the girls lined up afterwards won't be too happy…"

"Yeah…" Syaoran grumbled, scratching the back of his head in irritation. Sometimes, fame can be such bother. "Jeez, it makes me wonder sometimes—"

"LOOK OUT!!!"

Abruptly, Syaoran glanced up, only to see a girl falling from the roof of the school. "HOLY SHIT!"

Before he could react to attempt saving the poor girl, she already landed, barely inches away from him. She landed in a crouched position, perfectly on her two feet, her skirt falling down gently after her.

After a few seconds of tense and shocked silence, she stood up and straightened herself, before beaming a wide-eyed oblivious smile at him. "Hello!"

He could only gawk. "KINOMOTO?!"

Beside him, Eriol's eyes narrowed slightly, looking at the girl.

"Holy crap what the hell were you doing—" But Syaoran's lecture was cut off by a wave of cheers and screams as the whole cheerleading crew rushed out the front door, crowding Sakura.

"Wow, that was AMAZING!"

"You sure weren't kidding! I thought you'd for sure get hurt!"

"Where did you learn to do that? Can you teach me?"

"That was brilliant! I'm speechless!"

"With moves like that, we'll for sure take the national championship this year!"

Sakura smiled happily. "Thanks guys! I'll for sure do my best!"

Standing a few feet away from the crowd, Tomoyo stood silent, smiling calmly, waiting patiently.

Sakura turned around, and waved at her.

Tomoyo waved back.

Instantly, the cheerleading squad turned around and saw Tomoyo, and the laughter suddenly died out.

"Ew, is that a middle-schooler?" One girl commented, sneering.

"Get lost kid, this place is where the big girls play!"

"Go home shorty, before you get hurt." Another one said maliciously.

But Tomoyo wasn't intimidated at all. Boldly, she took a few strides until she was nearly touching them. "Please, I have done nothing to you, I'm simply waiting for my friend, if you would be so kind, just let me be."

They stared at her, before bursting out laughing. "What a geek!"

But Sakura frowned. "Hey, guys, be nice to her! She's my friend!"

"Oh, Sakura, you must think of making better friends, more like friends from Seijuu High! You're totally suited to hang out with us!"

But Sakura wasn't daunted. "She's a very good friend of mine, and I _request_ you to be nice to her."

A girl named Ashley, who was previously captain of the team until Sakura came along and demoted her to a vice, stood out from the crowd and narrowed her eyes. "Is that a threat?"

Sakura stared back at her right in the eyes. "If my friends can't even stay to watch me practice, then I don't think this team is suitable for me…"

Ashley's eyes narrowed even more. But she knew they could not afford to lose Sakura. Having been around this school for so long, she knew how to fake well. Taking a deep breath, a bright smile suddenly lit her face. "Aww, I'm sorry, there, any friend of Sakura's, is a friend of ours! If anytime you want to hang out with us, feel free to come along! So, what's your name?"

"Daidouji. Daidouji Tomoyo."

"Right, Tomoyo-chan, nice to meet you!"

Tomoyo stared at her, curious as to why this creature would bother being this way when she was cleared annoyed with the situation. But, she smiled back respectfully, and said, "likewise."

"Well," Ashley said. "I think we all had quite some fun today, seeing Sakura's skills, I guess practice will be dismissed for now!"

"All right!"

"Bye Sakura!"

"See you tomorrow Sakura!"

"Sakura, you're sooo cute!"

Slowly, the crowd thinned out, and three timid figures finally approached them, nervous and scared.

"Wow…" Naoko whispered. "That was… amazing…"

"Yeah… Sakura, that's some mad skills right there… no wonder you made it to their cheerleading team… heck, you should be in the Olympics!" Chiharu muttered in awe.

"And Tomoyo," Rika said. "How did you manage to stand up to them like that! And wow, you're like totally friends with them now, and you can hang out with them anytime you want!" Her eyes were wide with envy.

Tomoyo smiled slightly. "Well, I don't think I want to hang out with them though…"

"Are you kidding? If you become friends with them, do you know how popular you'll be? I mean—" But she suddenly froze. Staring at a space slightly above and behind Tomoyo's head.

"Rika?"

But suddenly, Chiharu and Naoko were too, stuck in the trance.

Of course, Sakura and Tomoyo felt their movements a long while ago, but simply chose to ignore it and pretend they were oblivious. "Is something the matter?"

A hand touched Tomoyo on her right shoulder. She spun around slowly, unsurprised. "Well, hello there, Hiiragizawa-kun."

He stared at her in a peculiar way, and after a pause, he said, "Feel free to call me Eriol."

She nodded.

The girls gawked even more.

"Listen, I'd like to have a talk with you, if that's possible."

Tomoyo nodded. "All right." Gently, she grabbed his free hand. "Where shall we go?"

He stared at her hand that was above his for a very long time. Normally, he disliked close contact; especially from one of the bimbo girls he dated yearly. But somehow, she seemed different. Though she was very bold to declare her interest in him, somehow she just seemed… special. After a long thought, he decided not to shake her off. "If you don't mind, there's a park nearby the stream around here, we can go there—it's relatively quiet."

Tomoyo smiled gently. "I'll see you at home later, okay Sakura?"

"All right! Have fun! Don't be home too late!"

Tomoyo nodded. "I won't, see you later."

"Bye-bye!"

And Tomoyo and Eriol walked off, leaving the girls in complete stunned silence.

A few minutes later, Chiharu finally spoke up. "Oh my God. She's totally alone with him."

"Yeah, they're _alone_ in a park, together, it's like a _date_ dammit! A DATE! With Hiiragizawa-sama!"

Sakura tilted her head to one side, frowning slightly. "Guys you're right… I can't believe how dense I am sometimes… she's totally _alone_ with Hiiragizawa-kun!"

Naoko nodded furiously. "I know, I know, I _know_!!"

"Oh my God poor her!" Sakura gasped, her hand over her mouth.

The three girls stared at her. "WHAT?!"

"I mean, she's alone with this guy who's much older, and taller! She could be in danger!"

"Oh, danger, shmanger, she's with _the _Hiiragizawa-sama! The girls in our school are gonna _freak_ if they ever hear of this!"

Rika nodded, agreeing wholeheartedly. "Oh my God, she's so luck—"

And yet again, for the second time within 10 minutes, all three of them froze, this time gawking at something above and behind Sakura's head.

Sakura blinked her large eyes innocently, yet deep inside, she knew what was to happen next. _We always get what we want._ She thought with a slight smirk.

He cleared his throat.

Sakura spun around. "Oh, hi! Wow, you're still here? I thought you'd gone home after Hiiragizawa-kun left with Tomoyo!"

"Yeah, well, I kinda wanted to ask you a few questions… was kinda waiting for your peanut gallery to leave… but don't think they're budging anytime soon…"

Despite his lack of interest in them, the three girls gawked hopelessly at the close proximity between them and their dream.

Syaoran raised an eyebrow at them. "So could you guys leave?"

And simultaneously, one thought raced through each of their minds—_oh my God he's talking to me!_

But they each nodded helplessly, as they drifted away in a trance.

When they were gone, he turned towards her, his full attention on her, eyes intent.

After a few seconds of silent, Sakura, knowing it would be suitable for her personality, chirped brightly, as if oblivious to the tense atmosphere, "So, what do you want to talk about? Oh, you know the other day, I read this book—"

But he cut her off. "How'd you do that?" He asked.

She blinked innocently. "Do what?"

"Do that. When you jumped and landed earlier."

"Oh, that, enough practice and anyone can do it!"

"Yeah, maybe from a flight of stairs, not from the roof of the school building."

Her broad smile was replaced by a slightly devious grin. "Practice makes perfect." She said.

"Not true. I couldn't even do that."

"Oh? What exactly do you mean by that? Are you supposed to be some super flexible and super athletic guy or something?"

His eyes widened slightly. "You don't know?"

The bright, big smile came back. "Oh, I barely know your name! I just know you're Syaoran 'cause my friends mentioned you, I don't even know what your last name is!"

"Are you kidding? How do you not know about me?"

"Well," she her index finger over her lips thoughtfully. "Tomoyo-chan and I arrived in this town about 2 weeks ago, so we don't know anyone, really!" She finished, chirpily.

"WHAT?! Then why did you want to go out with me?"

"Well, let's see, Tomoyo and I moved here and we wanted to have some fun, a few girls in our class—the ones here earlier—told us there were two really cute guys in grade 10 in Seijuu High, so we decided to come and see what the fuss was all about, and, well, you are rather… attractive so I decided it should be fun to go out you!"

He stared at her in disbelief, at her simple logic and how blunt she was.

When he said nothing for a few moments, she covered her mouth as her eyes went large, and she shifted eyes from left to right. "Oopsies, did I say something I wasn't suppose to?"

He shook his head slightly. "Oh, nothing, nothing." He grabbed her hand. "Let's go sit down somewhere."

And together, they walked to the school steps, where they sat down next to each other. "All right, I feel kinda odd when people _don't_ know about me. So, what do you want to know?"

But Sakura already knew a lot about him in that one instant. The expensive material his clothing were made out of, the way his body moved as he walked and sat, the position his arms and legs were in—she could almost just imagine his lifestyle. _Rich. Very rich. Takes some form of martial arts, karate, most likely. And seemed to be into basketball and… swimming… probably has his own swimming pool. Definitely easy going, very relaxed, he must have a butler or maid, comfortable room, sleeps plenty each night, uses very expensive hair products… and… he… he lives without parents…?_

Sakura blinked slightly at that last thought. It seemed rather random, but somehow it just seemed to fit. But she smiled cutely at him. "Just tell me some basic things about you! Oh, well your full name for one, your hobbies, oh and why so many girls seem to like you! I mean, I know you're cute and all, but I'm sure there has to be more than that!"

He stared at her for a while, before finally speaking. "All right, well, my real name is Li Xiao Lang. I'm Chinese, came to Japan about 4 years ago, and to everyone here I'm known as Li Syaoran. I enjoy playing basketball and leisure swimming, and I've taken karate ever since I was 3." He glanced at her. "And even I couldn't do what you did back there. That's why I was very surprised, and amazed at you abilities."

_Hah. This is almost too easy._ "Oh wow, you seem to be an active person!" Purposely, she decided to glide the topic away from her unique abilities. "Oh, you still haven't answered why so many girls are after you! I mean, it's just dating, right?"

"Jeez, you make it sound so easy! I'm nearly a celebrity around here!"

She tilted her head innocently to one side. "Isn't it easy? Certainly, it had been no problem for me…"

He growled slightly. "You know that for most girls this is like a battle of life and death right? They spend thousands of dollars to look beautiful and be noticed, and a whole year sucking up to me and being Ms. Sunshine to try to catch my interest as a permanent girlfriend, yet you tell me this is all just fun and games for you?"

"Well, I like to have fun!" She exclaimed brightly.

He sighed, feeling gloomy clouds hanging over him as she continued to shine brightly, unaware of his situation. "Look, I'm good-lookin', I'm smart, and I'm filthy rich. I live in a goddamn mansion with my own butler and more than a few maids and cooks. I am also the heir to the Li Clan back in China. Now, you tell me, what kind of girl wouldn't wanna marry a man like that?"

She scratched her head. "Well, I've read in this magazine once, that money and looks isn't everything… so if they were really that serious to the point they were all looking for a spouse, shouldn't they put the attitude and personality and love into consideration instead of all the material things? It also said that…"

He stared at her, hard. This girl was unbelievable! Read from a _magazine_?! As she kept rambling on, she just seemed more and more outrageous, and finally, he burst out laughing.

"Hmm? Did I say something wrong again? Whoopsies…"

"Oh, nothing, nothing… you're so… strange, you know that? Your thought process is that of a 5-year-old, you talk like a 10-year-old, you're actually a 13-year-old, and you have the talent of someone who's lived 3 life times… You really are something…"

_Whatever I want, I get…_ "You want to know something about me…?"

"Sure."

"I know I'm pretty cute, and I'll tell you my grades are quite high in school. I'm also filthy rich, and my real home, far, far away is nearly the size of an island. I have so many butlers and maids I've lost count, I've never had to do a minute of labor as they were all done by someone else. I will inherit not a clan, but something greater, something that may even change the world forever. I also enjoy various sports, and I'm quite good at them. I've been into martial arts since I was 2, and by now, I'm a master in 5 different types of it. I can kick your ass any day." Her head was held high; there was a slight taunt in her thin glance. "Now tell me, why would I want to marry you?"

He couldn't stop staring at her. Truly, it was a huge blow to his ego, what she said, and it may even have angered him quite a bit. But he couldn't help but to be amazed. And even more shocked at her sudden transformation of personality. Unpredictable. That's the best word to describe her. And exciting.

Sakura on the other hand, lowered her head slightly, her heart pounding faintly. _Shit._ She cursed. It's always been a weakness of hers—a sort of craving for power and to feel superior. Somehow he managed to just lead her on to blab all that out. It felt great when she said, especially watching his reaction, but now thinking back to what she said, the way she said it, she worried slightly he may notice this dramatic change in her personality and fear of it. Or worse, tell of it.

But he said nothing, simply shook his head as he lowered it, his bangs covering his eyes. After a short while, he looked up, brushing his bangs aside, and let out a big sigh. "Yes." He finally admits. "Why would you want to marry me?"

Her eyes were suddenly watery. "Oh, I didn't mean anything like that! I'm so sorry if what I said was too harsh! I mean, of course I do like you and all, but I just think marriage is a little way out there, you know? I think it'll be fun if we can go out on dates and stuff though!"

"Yeah. Yeah." He nodded. "Hey, you know what, my butler's coming to pick me up soon. You wanna come over?"

_Perfect chance to ask._ "Oh, it sounds cool! But…" she looked away, eyes teary. "I-I'm… I'm not really good with parents… so if I see your parents or something I think I might get really nervous and—"

"Don't worry about that. I live alone. My parents…" he suddenly trailed off, and for the first time in a while, Sakura understand tell why. This one she truly couldn't guess. His expression was unreadable. "Anyways, I don't live with anyone but myself and some servants."

_Yet again, I am right._ She thought triumphantly, but made sure not to let it show. "Oh! Well, that'll be great then!" She smiled.

"Yeah? Well, let's go then?"

"Mm-hmm!"

Together, side-by-side, they walked towards the main gates of Seijuu High, where a limo was waiting.

He opened the door for her, and before she got on, she said softly, "Guess what?"

"What?"

"Tomoyo and I, we live alone too, without our parents. Without maids and butlers, too."

He stared at her. But she was already climbing into the car.

As he closed the door, he smiled slightly. _Definitely refreshing. Different. Exciting. Unpredictable._

This could be the beginning of something… as she said, fun. Just some simple, harmless fun.

**--**

**If you want me to email you for the next update, LEAVE YOUR EMAIL in your review!**

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**Author's Note: **_Part 2/3 of my promise! Now just have IDY2 left to update… hope you're all enjoying the story so far, let me know what you so far, yah? Methinks this is going to quite a long story actually… thing are about to get cute and complicated… :grins: And Eriol-Tomoyo scene will come next chapter… just wanted to get something updated quickly…_

_3607 words. Pretty short._


	4. Havin' a Little Fun

**Author's Note:** _Wow, I am such a bastard, I swear… it's srsly been a year since I last updated… what, the hell. I am so, SO sorry. But I am updating now, because I think (and hope) I have re-found inspiration when I read through the notes I made on various scenes that's to happen in this story… now, let's see how many people are still following this story/remember it… :shot:__Thave fun...it.", you probably wouldnt', with Eriol following behind silently, observantly. _

)**Frosted BlossomZ**( - Hehe that part was particularly fun for me to write too :P Yay Sakura XD

)**Sayoko's-fire**( - Whooooops… another late update then…? n.n; gomen ne… ah, I don't blame ya for forgetting the story… I think if it were me I'd too… :shot:

)**mangalvr**( - Haha, lol yes ma'am, I shall write! XP

)**Arina and Saku**( - Haha I don't think I'll be rewriting it atm… more important to actually keep consistent updates, ne? :P Though I'm kinda forgetting what I wrote before… need to reread soon before I write some conflicting crap… :(

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**Chapter Four**

_Havin' a Little Fun_

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Tomoyo walked silently along the stream, with Eriol following behind silently, observantly. "There's something you want to ask me?" Tomoyo asked gently.

Eriol sighed. "Well, yes, there is… but, I don't want to sound as if I'm accusing or anything…"

"Don't worry, ask away." She replied with a small smile. She would never have guessed that… normal people… would be so observant. "I won't get mad." She added.

He paused. "You and Sakura… when did you two come to this town?"

"A few weeks ago."

"From where?"

"A far away place, you probably wouldn't've heard of it."

"Why?"

"To… have fun…"

"To have fun. That's a rather simple answer, isn't it?"

Tomoyo looked away. She should've and could've came up with a better lie, she knew. Except for some reason, she didn't want to lie to the young man before her. "Yes, but it's true."

"You and Kinomoto-san are barely 13-year-old girls, I think it's fair to say normal girls your age don't just change towns to 'have fun'."

"But… we're not normal…" she whispered softly.

Eriol paused in mid-stride as he stared at her. Tomoyo stopped, too, as she turned around to gaze back at him.

A chilly wind blew by, lifting her long, gorgeous dark hair into the sky.

Reaching forward hesitantly, Eriol brushed her hair out of her eyes, his hand lingering by the side of her face. "No," he replied. "You're definitely not."

Another rather strong gust of wind blew by, causing the water from the stream to splatter onto their legs.

Tomoyo suddenly felt tense, remember what her mother told her about not going near water. Slowly, she glanced down and saw that a small part of the strap of her sandal seemed to have melted away.

Startled, she took a step back abruptly, breaking her and Eriol's eye contact. "Sorry." Tomoyo apologized quickly. "Let's go somewhere else…" she said, already walking away from the stream.

Eriol mentally slapped himself. He couldn't believe he was just staring… at a _girl_. A middle-schooler, no less. "Are you… afraid of water?"

Tomoyo smiled sheepishly. "Well, I—ah—it's hard to say… let's just say I'm not too fond of it."

Eriol grinned following after her. "You're a weird one…"

"Mou… stop making fun of me…" Tomoyo mumbled.

"So, where do you wanna go?" He asked as he caught up to her, grasping her hand gently. Her skin was unnaturally smooth, and creamy, and soft, and all in all, perfect—just like the rest of her.

Tomoyo pondered. "Doesn't matter, really, let's just take a walk, and see where it leads us."

Eriol smiled. But before he could nod, his smile suddenly faded as he stopped in his steps and glanced at his watch. "Shoot. Actually, I can't. I'm sorry Tomoyo, I have to meet someone else in about half an hour at the school."

"Someone else?" She echoed.

"Well… There are nine other girls besides you whom I'm seeing… and I got to meet one of them today." Normally Eriol would tell the girl he is with this line, without feeling the slightest hint of guilt. After all, they were all fully aware of this. But somehow… looking into Tomoyo's eyes, he felt as if he was betraying her. "I, I guess I should've told you about it ahead of time. Sorry."

Tomoyo looked away and frowned. _This won't do. Nine other girls? No. I do not wish to share…_ "Can you tell her you have to be with someone else?"

Eriol scratched the back of his head. "Probably not… this girl… umm originally both her _and_ her sister are suppose to date me this year… but… to give you and Sakura the privilege… someone had to go… The girls decided by drawings straws… the girl I'm gonna see now—Miki—her sister drew the shorter one and got kicked out…"

"Miki's sister… what's her name?"

Eriol wondered what she was getting at. "Nana, why?"

"Do you love Nana?"

He stared back at her with a bewildered expression. "Are you kidding me? Of course not."

"Do you think you would've fallen in love with her if you dated her this whole year?"

"Probably not… Nana's… well, just like all the girls I've dated in the past. And I haven't fallen in love with any of them." Eriol sighed scratching the back of his head. "I really don't think I'll ever find my soulmate… at least not out of these bunch…"

Tomoyo turned fully towards him and smiled. "Good, I'm glad to know that."

"Oh? And why is that?"

"Now I don't need to feel guilty." She replied with a smile. "I didn't take anything away from her. Her goal is to have you fall in love with her, yes? So whether or not she had this chance to date you, nothing would've matter. I have not disturbed fate. And you shouldn't feel obliged to meet her sister today."

Eriol shifted uncomfortably, though couldn't help the small tug at the corner of his lips. Her logic was so strange, and straightforward. "I-I guess that's one way of putting it… but still…"

Tomoyo smiled shyly. "So stay with me today."

"Tomoyo… I already told her, I can't cancel."

"Do you love her?"

"I—okay it's just that—Tomoyo—okay." He took a deep breath. "It's not about me being in love with her or anything of that sort. I am a person who stays true to my words and I will not leave a girl alone by herself standing in middle of the street waiting for me. It's something called keeping your word. And I have to go see her today. So I will see you another time, okay?"

Tomoyo stopped and stared at him, tiling her head to one side. She knew that if she pushed him any more he would definitely become irritated with her, and that she could not have. But she definitely needed to get rid of the other 9 girls… after all, she has such limited time to enjoy life, she couldn't possibly have a random girl getting in the way. "Okay then, Eriol-kun. Will I see you tomorrow?"

Eriol seemed thoughtful. "You know what, yeah. Come see me after school tomorrow, and we'll go somewhere, okay?"

Tomoyo smiled sweetly. "Tomorrow it is then."

Eriol felt his heart flutter at her sweet smile as he quickly nodded and turned around and walked away.

Unbeknownst to him, Tomoyo was definitely not going home…

--

"Welcome home, Master Li."

"S-Sakura!!"

"Preeetty!!" Sakura squealed running through the opening gates of Syaoran's mansion as she ran towards his main door.

"Hey, Sakura, wait up! Jeez, aren't we energetic…"

Sakura turned around and giggled, her eyes sparkling. "It's, it's so pretty here! I've never see so many… so many… what are these?"

Syaoran glanced around him. But all he saw were gardens full of blooming flowers… but that couldn't be what she was asking him… could it?! "Um, flowers?" He answered uncertainly.

"Oh! So _they_ are called flowers! Wow, they are much softer in real life… and smell nice too!" She beamed as she sniffed each flower, walking side ways towards the main entrance.

Syaoran smirked walking after her. "And you told me you live in a mansion _much_ nicer than me? And that you're much richer than I am?! How could you be when you've never even see flowers?!"

Sakura paused as she straightened, her smile dimming. "Believe me, I didn't lie when I said I am much richer than you are… but… the place I lived at… my parents cared very little for decorations… there were endless rooms, but… they were all bare…"

Syaoran paused in his steps wondering what she was talking about. Truly the place she spoke of sounded like a prison. What kind of person with endless money would go buy a house with endless rooms then leave it all bare?! What kind of sickening environment is that?! "Sakura…"

Her smile came back as quickly as it had gone away as she bounced up the stairs.

"Welcome back, Master Syaoran. And who might you be?" His most trusted butler, Wei, bowed as he held open the door for them.

"Sakura! Kinomoto Sakura!" She replied bouncing happily into the large mansion.

Syaoran walked in after her with a small shake of his head and a smile upon his lips.

"Is it a new round already?" Wei whispered to him as Syaoran walked by.

"Yes it is, Wei." He replied.

"Pity…" Wei replied sadly. "I suppose it'll finally be Ms. Tiffany's turn this round?"

"… yes." Syaoran replied stiffly.

"That girl is trouble," Wei whispered. "Don't tell me I didn't warn you."

Despite how quietly they whispered to each other, Sakura caught every word, and briefly, she wondered who this Tiffany is.

But all suspicion faded from her mind as she glanced at the scene before her.

If the outside of Syaoran's house was beautiful, the inside was absolutely breathtaking. Sakura stared up in awe at the glistening chandelier above her head, at the grand, sparkling golden staircase before her that spiraled upwards on both sides, then at the intricate door at the far end of the room that clearly led to the backyard. _Is this what a normal house should look like…?_ She wondered sadly, thinking back to the state of the lab. How cold that place seemed to her now, and she wondered how she survived all those years without noticing.

"You know," Syaoran said, coming up behind her. "For a rich girl, you're easily impressed."

"Mou!! Meanie! You're doubting what I said earlier!" Sakura whined, though her mind was still dazzled by the beauty of this place.

"Hey, I'm not saying anything."

"You don't believe me!" She pouted.

He laughed at her expression as he began walking towards the stairs. "Well, I mean your reaction… It's… questionable…"

"Mou!!" Sakura grumbled as she ran up behind Syaoran and jumped right onto his back, latching her arms around his neck.

"S-Sakura! What on earth are you doing? Y-You're choking me!! Let go!!"

But Sakura just lowered her arms a bit so that he would be able to breath, but only giggled in return, not loosening her grip. "Nope, I'm not letting go. That's your punishment for daring to accuse me of lying! Now give me a tour of the house!"

Syaoran sighed miserably. "Okay _that_ attitude I recognized… okay, okay… princess…" But he couldn't help but to smile at her energy. She was so childlike yet with so many hidden talents. She was still a mystery to him at the moment, and he planned to figure her out.

"What's a princess?"

Syaoran couldn't believe his ears. "Whaat? You're _kidding_ me, right?"

Sakura shook her head as she pulled herself up a little higher, and put her face right next to his, staring at him with her beautiful, large green eyes. "No, really, what's a princess?"

Syaoran sighed covering his face with his hands wondering just who this girl is, or was.

--

"Eriol-kun!"

Eriol smiled briefly as a girl with medium-length brown hair and chopped bangs ran up towards him, her brown eyes sparkling joyously.

"Hey Miki." Eriol greeted gently, accepting her hug.

Miki was one of the few girls Eriol actually considered a friend. Well, they were good friends till middle school. When Eriol got popular with Syaoran, Miki began to act like those fake girls just so she could fit in. But despite his irritation with what she's become, he still cared for her a bit more than he did the rest of the girls.

"Where would you like to go today?"

Miki smiled happily, standing as close to Eriol as possible as she reached for his hand. Tomoyo saw that small gesture clearly, and to her surprise, she suddenly felt pain within her chest.

At first she was surprised as she gasped, touching the pained area. _Is something wrong? Am I sick? Is something wrong with my body…?_

But when the pain didn't subdue with time and didn't seem to get worse, Tomoyo relaxed slowly, though still wondering what was wrong with her.

Somehow, as she followed them throughout their trip to the mall, the pain became worse each time the Miki got closer to Eriol, or when Eriol smiled at her.

Their shopping trip was short—only a bit over an hour, in fact—but already Tomoyo knew that Miki was the source of her pain. "She is an obstacle…" she muttered.

"Walk me home!" Miki smiled prettily, batting her eyes.

Eriol smiled softly. "I'm sorry Miki, I gotta get home and finish my homework for the night…"

"But Eri!! You told me you'd get it done before you came to see me!" She whined.

Eriol patted her on her head. "I guess I didn't. Sorry. See you later, okay?"

"All right…" she mumbled. "Later it is, then! Bye Eriol!" And she wrapped her arms around him briefly. Tomoyo tilted her head at the gesture. _What did that mean? Why did it seem as if she was trying to engulf him…?_

Tomoyo waited a good five minutes after Eriol was gone, before walking out from her spot, and stopping in front of Miki.

"Hi." She greeted with an arched eyebrow. "Do I know you?"

"No, but you know someone I know."

"Oh?"

"The young man you were speaking with just now—Hiiragizawa Eriol."

At the mention of his name, Miki's lips curled up. "Ah… let me guess… middle-schooler, long hair, kind of short…" her attitude was becoming more and more snobby by the minute. "Daidouji, am I right?"

Tomoyo nodded. "Yes, that would be me. And you would be Miki?"

She smirked. "Of course. One and only." And she leaned forwards and dropped her voice down a notch. "Also the one who's gonna get Eriol in the end, got it?"

But Tomoyo wasn't daunted. She flipped her hair back and held the threatening stare. "I want you to stop seeing Eriol."

Miki raised an eyebrow for the longest time, before she burst out laughing. "You're kidding, right?"

"No, I'm quite serious."

Miki's lips curled into a smirk. "And if I say 'no'?"

"Even if you say no now, I will always get what I want."

Miki threw her head back and burst out laughing. "Oh, you're killin' me here, little girl. Let me repeat myself one more time: _no_, I won't stop seeing him. What are you gonna do about it?"

"Then I'll have to kill you."

If possible, Miki laughed even harder. "Yeah, you keep telling yourself that. If you're gonna come up with a threat, at least make it believable, ay?" She gave Tomoyo a pat on her back and walked past her nonchalantly, leaving Tomoyo to stand there by herself, wondering what the flaw of her tactic was.

This world… despite all humans being so simple, is turning out to be much more complex than Tomoyo had bargained for…

--

"Rapunzel."

Sakura shook her head.

"Snow White?"

"Hmm?"

"Uhh… Okay this one: Cinderella."

Sakura tilted her head to one side and blinked her eyes.

"Ohhh…" Syaoran groaned face-palming. "C'mon, this one: Little Red Riding Hood."

"Ummm, I'm sorry?"

"Are you kidding me? Did you spend your childhood underneath a rock or something?!"

Sakura frowned. "If I spent my childhood under a rock I would've suffocated to death…"

Syaoran stared at her. "It's called a _me-ta-phor_, child!"

"Mou! I'm not a child! I have vast knowledge of many things, thank you very much!" She humph-ed and turned away from him crossing her arms, sitting on top of his soft bed.

"Oh great, c'mon now don't get mad! You're seriously a weird one… one of these days I'll figure out your past…"

Still facing away from him, Sakura grinned. _Good luck with that, buddy._ She thought. Though briefly she could almost envision the scene of Syaoran's reaction if he really _did_ know the whole truth behind her dark, twisted past. "Well I wish you best of luck with—" But Sakura paused mid-sentence as she stared at a photo of a small child resting upon Syaoran's bed stand in a silver frame. Something about her eyes… the way she stared into the camera… "Is that your child?!"

"WHAT?!" Syaoran exclaimed with a raised eyebrow as he crawled across his bed and sat cross-legged next to her and leaned forward to look at the photo. "Oh her… jeez don't scare me like that…" he cleared his throat. "And obviously she's not my child!! What are you thinking?!"

Sakura pondered as she stared from the photo of the little girl and back to Syaoran. "Hm. I see a resemblance."

Syaoran pouted. "Just because we looked alike doesn't mean she's my child, ne?"

"Okay, then who is she?"

At that, he grew silent, and hesitant. Sakura's smile faded gradually till she could only stare at him intently. At that moment despite the rising curiosity she wished she hadn't asked that question. He seemed so troubled. "She's… special to me." He whispered at last.

Sakura stared at him intently, wondering what she should do. _These Homo Sepians, what do they do for someone when they're upset?_ Sakura frowned. What lies she were fed that they knew everything there was to know about the world, when she couldn't even do something so simple… she should be able to easily manipulate normal people's emotions… so why couldn't she take away his pain? Sakura wrinkled her nose, deep in thought.

Glancing over, Syaoran stared at her concentrated expression, her nearly going cross-eyed. He couldn't help but to burst out laughing.

Sakura's head snapped up. _Is that the key then? To make them feel better… just do… nothing but think?_ "You are happy again." She said with a grin.

"Hmm?"

"You looked sad there for a moment. I was thinking of what normal peo—I mean, what I could do to cheer you up… I guess by thinking about you being happy makes you happy?"

Syaoran smiled. She really was so cute. "No, I was laughing at you silly!"

"Mouuu!! Syaoran! You're mean!!" Sakura huffed. "And here I was worried about you…" her smiled faded off into a thoughtful look. "So is that it then? When I want to help someone feel better, just let them laugh at me?"

Syaoran blinked, unsure if she was just messing with him or not. "Well… usually when you're concerned about someone… I guess… I mean, I don't do this often but… I guess technically speaking you could give them a hug or something…"

Sakura tilted her head to one side. "A hug…?"

Syaoran sighed as he rubbed his eyes. "Okay a hug is—"

"I know what a hug is! It's like this!" And without warning, Sakura opened her arms and threw herself onto him, hugging him tightly around the neck.

"Oh so—WHOA!!" Syaoran cried as he fell backwards onto the bed with Sakura. "S-Sakura, wha-what are you doing?!"

But Sakura just smiled happily as she lied on top of his chest, snuggling closer to him. _Is this it? This is what I do to make _others_ happy…? Why… why is it making me so happy, then…? What is this feeling…? As if… electricity is shooting through my body… could this be dangerous? Maybe, too much friction due to the—_

­"Sakura…" Syaoran mumbled, distracting her thoughts. "Get up please…"

But Sakura just closed her eyes as her grin stretched wider. She didn't understand the feeling yet, but she enjoyed it. "Nooo… let's stay like this all night…"

And Syaoran, to his own surprise, didn't mind her idea at all, as he put an awkward hand around her waist, trying to relax.

Sakura felt a calm serenity washing over her… the sensation was very similar to the feeling she felt in that dream of hers when she was near that boy. _What could this mean…?_ But she didn't have enough time to ponder before a voice rung in her mind.

_Sakura._

Sakura was instantly alert. _Tomoyo…_

_Sakura, come home._

Sakura didn't have to be told twice. Despite how comfortable she was right now, despite how ever fiber in her body wanted to stay the way she was, Tomoyo needed her. Sakura's heart beat increased just the slightest… _What could've had Tomoyo asking for help?_ And she was not about to let her one and only friend and family down. Sakura rose from Syaoran's chest abruptly.

His eyes snapped open—clearly he has yet to relax completely. "What's wrong?"

"I've got to go." She said bolting off his bed and towards the stairs.

"S-Sakura?" Syaoran followed after her, confused.

"I'm really sorry, believe me when I say I really want to stay with you." Sakura said once they reached the door. "So don't be sad, ne?" Sakura faced him with a bright smile as she gave him a quick hug. "See you tomorrow, Syaoran-kun!!"

Syaoran waved after her fading figure, still not quite sure what had just happened.

When she disappeared around the corner, he walked back into the house and slumped onto the couch, thinking about what had just happened.

Had it been any other girl he would've pushed her off without hesitations. One thing he hated was those lecherous girls… they made him feel uncomfortable. So then… what the hell just happened?! Syaoran groaned into his hands. "I'm screwed up…" he mumbled miserably.

--

The moment she was out of Syaoran's house Sakura dashed through the trees in the nearby park at an inhuman pace. She cut through the park in less than a few seconds and was at her house within a minute.

Walking into her house, she couldn't help but to feel a wave of unwelcoming coldness, so very different from the atmosphere she felt in Syaoran's house.

_Tomoyo._

Sitting on a chair in the middle of the dining room, Tomoyo was covered by the shadows created from the curtains. "Sakura…" Tomoyo mumbled, looking up slowly, her beautiful hair falling off her shoulder.

Sakura rushed over quickly and sat on the chair next to her friend. "What's the matter, Tomoyo?" She whispered in a voice so quiet, a normal human being would not hear it. A deep frown planted within her features.

"I-I think… something's wrong with me…"

Sakura's frown deepened. "If Eriol did anything—"

"No, no, Sakura… we agreed to this at the beginning… remember how they said something about having to see 18 other girls along with us throughout the year…?"

"Yeah. So? They see—"

Tomoyo shook her head quickly. "I don't think we understood completely… 'seeing' other girls apparently doesn't mean just looking at them… it means treating them the same way they are treating us… meaning having to spend time with them, and be close to them…"

"… Are you sure? I was with Syaoran all of today, he was not close with any other girls at all…"

"Not at the same time, Sakura… at different times. I was with Eriol today, till he had to meet… one of those other girls. And I… when I saw them… I don't know why… my… my heart began to feel a little weird. I don't know if there is anything wrong with my health, but I'm afraid of that feeling… and I thought that girl he was with caused it, and so I asked her to stop seeing him… and she said to me, 'no, and what are you going to do about it?'"

Sakura shrugged. "Okay, kill her."

Tomoyo shook her head more rapidly. "T-That's the thing… I-I don't think it works like that here… I-I don't think we can just, kill off whoever stands in our way…"

"Why not? Back at the lab we—"

"That's back at the lab, Sakura. Here, rules are _very_ different, and we don't want to attract unwanted attention to ourselves, ne?"

"I-I understand the rules are very different, but how do we find out what the difference is, without seeming too unnatural?"

Tomoyo sighed heavily, her hair falling over her face. "That is my problem… I do not wish for Eriol to see other girls, for it seems to make me have pain in my chest… at the same time, I do not know how to deal with this problem… I am faced with a difficult task, and I do not know how to solve it, and… and it makes me frustrated…" Tomoyo mumbled, her eyes betraying a thousand different emotions. "I, I think… I want Eriol to only spend time with me…"

Sakura stared at her friend's form with deep concern. Despite how still Tomoyo was, Sakura could feel the turmoil within her. And it tormented her because she couldn't help Tomoyo in any way. And so, she did the only thing she could.

She wrapped her arms gently around Tomoyo's shoulder, allowing her friend to rest her head on her shoulder.

**--**

**If you want me to email you for the next update, LEAVE YOUR EMAIL in your review!**

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**Author's Note: **_Gahh, sorry for the rushed chapter :( I'm literally writing it about half an hour before I have to leave for my flight… n.n; but I am proud I got to update!!_

_Anyways, leaving for China right now, and I would appreciate it if you guys could help me make a decision: WHEN TO COME BACK?!_

_I have a choice of either July 27th or August 28__th__._

_Coming back July 27__th__ means staying in China for 3 weeks. Considering I have relative in 3 different cities and I need to reserve about 3 days for mountain climbing, I will get no leisure shopping/relaxing time with my cousin. Aka a very rushed tripped. 48 something hours on the plane and just ending up doing all necessities without a chance to slow down and relax. Not to mention I'm going off to university next year, which means I won't see my relatives for at LEAST another 5 years._

_Choice 2, come back on August 28__th__. With that plan, assuming I'll arrive august 28__th__ at noon and all, I'll have lots of leisure free time (mom's leaving on July 27 which means all "need-to-be-done" visiting will be done by then, and everything else is just my own free time) to relax, be with my family and stuff. But, my orientation week for university starts September 1__st__, and I need to move into the dorms completely by that point. That's really rushing things for when I come back. Not to mention my university is kinda far off so I want to spend time with my friends before I disappear there. AND, if flight is delayed or something and I end up coming back august 28__th__ at NIGHT, it would mean I spent my BIRTHDAY dying on a plane… n.n;;_

_So guys… help? n.n;_

_4857 words, all right I guess._


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